THE “original” Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) yesterday elected its new chairman and vice chairman, a move seen as a retaliation to the recent ouster of Sen. Emmanuel Pacquiao as party president by a faction led by Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi.
Ronwald Munsayac, national executive director and chairman of the Public Information Committee of PDP-Laban Pacquiao-faction, said the party’s national council held a virtual meeting at around 2 p.m. yesterday, during which Sen. Aquilino Pimentel III was elected party chairman, replacing President Duterte, while former Eastern Samar Gov. Lutgardo Barbo was elected party vice chairman replacing Cusi.
Munsayac said Pacquiao attended the virtual meeting, while airborne on his way back to Manila from the United States after his fight with Yordenis Ugas last week.
Munsayac clarified that the party did not oust Duterte as party chairman. He said based on party rules, officers only have a two-year term. He said Duterte was elected party chairman in 2016.
Cusi said Duterte remains the PDP-Laban chairman.
“We are not aware of any valid and official National Council meeting of the PDP-Laban that was called for today. If such meeting took place, then it is clearly invalid and a blatant violation of our party constitution,” he said in a statement.
Any attempt to destroy PDP-Laban will not succeed. These people causing intrigue are only exposing themselves for what they truly are. If they want to lead the party, then they must learn to obey our party principles and constitution,” he added.
Melvin Matibag, PDP-Laban Cusi-Faction secretary general, called the election a “comedy.”
The move of the Pacquiao faction came days after Malacañang said Duterte has agreed to his supporters’ clamor for him to run as vice president in next year’s elections.
The Pacquiao faction, in the first week of July, expelled Cusi, Matibag, and membership committee head Astra Naik from the party for alleged disloyalty as they were reportedly supporting the presidential candidacy of Davao City Mayor and presidential daughter Sara Duterte-Carpio, who is not a party member. The expulsion order was signed by Pacquiao.
On July 17, the PDP-Laban Cusi-faction declared all national positions vacant, and elected Cusi as party president, ousting Pacquiao who was named by Pimentel as acting party president on December 2020.
Pacquiao’s ouster came at the time he was in the US training for his fight with Ugas.
He is expected to arrive today. — With Jocelyn Montemayor
